Look for commands, find definitions (1828 Webster’s dictionary is helpful for definitions at the time the Book of Mormon was published) and word histories (etymonline.com is great), and carry out the instructions as you read along.

You can also reduce the verb imperatives you look for if you categorize them by level of importance (as in, look only for “know” commands, and skip over “behold” commands). Also, recognize that imperative commands given to the reader establish obligations for the reader. Imperative commands from one person in the story to another person in the story are not necessarily directed to the reader.

I was thinking about the LDS temple changes (see here), and the problem of alleged sexism in the ordinances. The issue should end at the statement that God is no respecter of persons, male or female (incidentally, the racism question should end with the statement that God is no respecter of persons black or white, and the class question should end when he says neither bond nor free, meaning employed worker or business owner). Yet, there are other things involved that seem to show a disparity between practice and teachings. So, looking at it first from the standpoint of not judging God, and taking the assumption that IF we have correct translations of scriptures, and the overriding characteristic of God is he is no respecter of persons, then there MUST be a non-sexist, non-racist, non-class biased view of seemingly problematic passages and ordinances.

Taking that line of reasoning, one could argue that feminist theory is reducing all patriarchal systems to simplistic terms in order to blanket accuse them of sexism. If we grant that most patriarchal systems tend to become sexist, but there is one possible version that is non-sexist, what would it look like? Would it look like a system of priesthood designed to create a servitude for men to eradicate the natural man tendencies? Why would women want to enslave themselves in that portion of the priesthood meant to enslave men’s baser nature?

Next, would not the allegorical elements in the Garden of Eden story need to be prefigured with the reality that God was outlining a fallen condition for man? If God states fallen conditions as a de-evolved relationship for man and woman (as in, before the fall, men and women were equal, but after, in a state of nature, the woman would desire the protection of the husband when she was burdened with the trauma of childbearing to reproduce the race), then there is no harm in the ordinances relating that symbolic fact of fallenness. Only, the LDS leaders jealously guarded the second anointing ceremonies as a power play to reward institutional loyalty, making the redemptive balance women had in the drama hidden. Only women can make kings and validate that a man has overcome the fallen nature. The first shall be last and the last first.

Without understanding this, the LDS have caved to accusations from ignorant and faulty feminist theory and have removed the drama that shows WHY sexism is prevalent, and HOW to overcome it. There is an interdependence between the sexes that feminist theory, in part, ignores and hates. Neither is the man without the woman and the woman without the man, in the Lord (individual exceptions due to uncontrollable circumstances aside).

Instead of 12 men deciding if you should receive the second anointing with a spouse, it is probably more accurate to say a council of 7 women, including the wife, decide when a man has risen from the fallen conditions, after learning from the man’s accurate revelations what the order of the priesthood means for their responsibilities to do so. Just some speculations. There is also the possibility that we have some things translated incorrectly in the Bible, and the Book of Mormon is more accurate in these regards. My speculations try to harmonize things first assuming we have enough corrections in the scripture translations to deal with this issue.

The race question in Mormonism goes generally as follows: Noah was a real man who really had three sons. Noah held a position as president of the entire human race. It was a position only passed from father to son, so yes, a Patriarchal reign. Only, it had strict conditions for passing it down to a worthy heir, one where righteousness preempted any qualifications gained from birth order and being the firstborn. One of Noah’s sons, Ham, mimicked the royal process and established some kind of order with his son Canaan that represented a flawed system with no safeguards against unrighteous rule. Although the first Pharaoh and others were righteous, the system was corrupt, and Noah rightly prophesied their corrupt system was a curse and would lead to their children becoming enslaved.

Noah never said it was good for their children to be enslaved, it was just the natural result of their behavior if they didn’t forsake their attempts at faulty kingdom making. The tribalism in Africa has led to such fractures and power imbalances that the worse scourge of slavery eventually caught up with them. Slavery was not a “just” or a “righteous” punishment. It was a scourge. God is merciful and always works to free men from slavery. We get caught up in circumstances where wicked and greedy people take advantage of our small errors. By small and simple things are great things (bad and good) brought to pass. That doesn’t make slavery right or a fair punishment, it is the nature of a fallen world that God continually seeks to save us from. If we take his advice with small course corrections, we can spare ourselves from huge, unfair, consequences that wicked people inflict on other portions of the human race. At the end of the probationary periods, God comes out in swift judgment against the wicked who enslave others and rewards all those who suffer unfairly. More speculative thoughts based on using explanations of God’s character and attributes to guide the interpretation of scripture.

I went to the Netherlands to present some of my scholarly findings on early Mormon enjoyment of popular culture in Nauvoo. In addition to the school conference in Middelburg, I had the thought to rededicate Europe and Ireland (I had a long layover in Dublin) for preaching the gospel as well as gathering in the good from any other sheep that have heard Christ’s voice over time and in the present.

I remembered Denver mentioning that when Moses took off his sandals, it was to make the ground holy and not necessarily the reverse. I found private spots and took my shoes and socks off and planted my feet down on soil in the Netherlands and Dublin and gave the prayers I received and wrote down prior to rededicating the lands. I wasn’t thinking I was holy enough to make the lands holy with my feet, but thought it was a fitting part of the ordinance in memorial of Moses’ and other’s acts. It also seemed an appropriate introductory bookend to get soil on my feet for a land opened to preaching if there is also a closing ordinance wiping the dust off of one’s feet when a land loses the blessing and the people are cut off from preaching (hopefully the latter is never necessary).

Here are the prayers:

11-18-18 Dedication of Europe at Middelburg, Netherlands:

It’s Sunday, November 18 at 3:50 P.M. in Middelburg, Netherlands, sitting in front of a statue called “de Ringrijder.” [the Ring Rider] in front of the main church which has a red royal crown at the top of a huge steeple by the third tree from the church that has concrete around it. I just put my bare feet on the soil here—planted down.

O Father, this is your servant Brian, answering your prompting to rededicate this land. There are other servants more worthy than I who would perform this work if given the chance, and perhaps someone already has. I recognize there is goodness in the peoples here to learn from. There are still many treasures of wisdom to appreciate and gather, while those of us who have consented to your covenant are still weak, unlearned, and sometimes less virtuous and less righteous than others. But you have said you would show forth your wisdom through the weak things of the earth in the Teachings and Commandments section 141 verse 1. Therefore, on this spot in Middelburg, Netherlands at the tree I described on November 18 at 3:53 P.M. in 2018, having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I dedicate and rededicate this land and continent of Europe for the preaching of the gospel of Christ and for learning from any other sheep who already hear his voice on this land, that all things may be gathered in one in Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I said this prayer while kneeling on my right knee.

11-20-18 Dedication of Ireland at Santry Demense on the path towards the Walled Garden, Dublin, Ireland:

[I put my bare feet on the soil here as well, next to the first bench in the park from the entrance across from the Holiday Inn Express where I stayed.]

I’m here in Dublin, Ireland at Santry Demense, a park near the Walled Garden.

O Father, this is your servant Brian, answering your prompting to rededicate this land in Ireland where my prominent ancestral homeland [is] that gave rise to my grandmother’s line who introduced us to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ revealed through your servant, Joseph Smith, Jr. I recognize there is goodness in these peoples as well to learn from and still many treasures of wisdom to appreciate and gather. Therefore, on this spot in Dublin, Ireland at 7:51 A.M. on Wednesday, November 20, 2018, having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I dedicate and rededicate this land of Ireland for the preaching of the gospel of Christ and for learning from any other sheep who already hear his voice on this land, that all things may be gathered in one in Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

“As other conditions arise that require direction from heaven on how to proceed, such as what to do about Patriarchal blessings, and other important items, heaven can be sought and revelation obtained as God grants it” What Do We Do About Callings…

Our oldest daughter reached an age where she normally would be receiving a Patriarchal Blessing through a Patriarch in the LDS Church. My wife and I have found great solace in our blessings, and the humble man who administered those blessings prepared well and kept his own thoughts out of them and put God’s mind and will into them. We wanted the same for our children.

We were persuaded by Denver’s comments on Patriarchal Blessings and the scriptures that teach that ancient prophets gave fathers’ blessings at the end of their lives, such as Adam, Jacob (Israel), and Lehi. Denver observed these men were “bowed down with great age, knowing that they are going to soon depart this world, having no personal investment in the outcome, intending only to say what is for the blessing and benefit through the Spirit of what will befall their children after them, things that they will not be around to witness” Denver on Patriarchal Blessings. These comments put us on guard that our limited life experiences might curtail the power of our blessings to our children now, and that our power in the priesthood might be increased as we aged and became more selfless in our last days.

Still, the scriptures described Adam’s blessing as “his last blessing” (D&C 107:53), encouraging us that earlier provisional blessings might be authorized in the context of being preliminary to a later, “last” blessing which carried more significance. We decided to ask the Lord for power to give a preliminary Patriarchal Blessing to our oldest daughter.

A few years prior, Nikki and I hiked to a mountain peak in Logan Valley. We prayed to ask the Lord what to do about our children missing the opportunity to attend the LDS temples. It took a long time to get an answer. Leading up to that answer, in 2017, Denver Snuffer made some comments on the Holy Order and mentioned his own thoughts on “children who are kept from access to LDS temples and what can be done to inform them about temple rites” (Denver on The Holy Order, pp. 28-30). You can read what he wrote there. There was no specific indication this was the word of the Lord, however. Either way, on these types of things we pray mightily to find out the truth from the Lord’s own voice.

Suffice it to say, after getting permission to give a preliminary Patriarchal Blessing, predicated on our daughter’s faithfulness, and subject to the will of the Lord for interpretation and fulfillment, we proceeded to record a blessing where I spoke as voice and Nikki took a turn pronouncing blessings as well. The event was a success, and our daughter now has a nicely laminated Patriarchal Blessing that she finds very precious. We obtained our daughter’s permission to share a portion of that blessing that I received before we administered the ordinance to her. Most of the words of the actual blessing were extemporaneous except for some words given to me by revelation on, 1. how to start the blessing, and 2. the portion in the following quote. We also wrote a list of potential categories of the types of things that might come up in this type of blessing and referred to it during the event. It allowed us to remember, in such a long blessing, to pause and see if the Lord had any thoughts on those categories as we proceeded.

As you will see, the testimony we received by revelation was that Denver’s comments that, “First, although it has been demonstrably corrupted, there is value in the temple…[and so on]” is true. I expressed that testimony in my own words as the giver of the blessing, and quoted the Lord by including a scripture he told me now applies to the LDS temple ceremonies. This is the part of the blessing we gave to our daughter:

“Right now, there is not a temple available for you, but what was restored through Joseph Smith has had some alterations over time. They are available for you, but they are like the Apocrypha as mentioned by the Lord in section 91 of the Teaching and Commandments. As he said, ‘There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly…whoever is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom.’ Read and watch the ceremony in the form it was observed before the changes in 1990. Feel free to discuss what you learn with anyone who has received temple ordinances before” September 9, 2018.

We can say confidently in the name of the Lord that this revelation is true. Amen.

I think we need to print a journal like the Elders Journal where people can submit articles.

Not everything has to be put into the scriptures (obviously)…that should be the cream of the crop (even if it is not all perfect in scriptures).

And also, there should be something that helps medium-level-interest stuff avoid getting lost in the big repository of the archives online. Everything should go in the archives, but some gems should be put in a journal and passed around.

Conference reports and transcripts are an easy starting point.

I really think we need a separate site that includes news, voting polls (on a tab with login maybe), and conference reports (transcripts), and maybe a journal with writing submissions, even if it is just an electronic pdf that people can print on their own. Then, that all gets backed up in the restoration archives.(You hide the archives in the back of the library so it doesn’t clutter the hot items in the stacks.)

It could even be the permanent conference website, so the upcoming conference(s) are tab(s) and you won’t have to create a brand new website for each conference.

Since we’re a collective community with no leaders, you can have people submit their writings to a preliminary place and anyone can review and vote yes or no to including it in the journal for publication. Since it’s a low stakes publication, and not the scriptures, a majority vote after a set amount of time can let someone’s writings pass muster and get published to the group with special status as something worth reading. Otherwise, it gets sent to the archives and people can look it up there.

That just makes it all based on persuasive power gauged by the whole community’s interest…and helps us avoid being flooded with stuff to consider, but archiving everything so no gems fall through the cracks.

You know, maybe eventually we’ll get better at determining if anything someone submits (other than Denver) is scripture-worthy. But, this way we get to vet things in advance without such a high-stakes commitment. It’s possible the majority would reject something that came from the Lord, but again, it will be there in the archives to be brought up at a later time when hearts are softened.

And, this isn’t to suggest that submissions are only of the type that claims: “thus saith the Lord,” it could be writings, teachings, proposals, projects, news, thoughts, musings, art, literature, fiction, poetry, music, hymns, etc.

Beyond the Guide and Standard, this would show our hearts to the world. It would illustrate all the diversity of thought, talents, and inspiration. Instead of the skeleton of principles, it would show the lifeblood of the community, hopefully as uplifted by the Lord’s influence.

It just might draw our hearts closer together, too, to see what we are all coming up with, located in one spot.

Plus, it’s not of the nature of needing the Lord to command us before we do it…its just going about doing good of our own free will. There isn’t any command against it.

I am extremely swamped and couldn’t set this up myself, but the idea is out there. Feel free to run with it.

This is the original document that the moiety doc that is circulating is based on, but the moiety doc has added on a lot more from the Iroquois ideas than I think are necessary. Representatives can be male or female, and can be sustained by their fellowship. Sure, they could be chosen by lots in the fellowships as well. These are modifiable concepts.

The default idea is the most open: even non-baptized people who support others who believe in the doctrine of Christ can participate in votes if the cross-fellowship decision warrants including them. It is similar to Joseph Smith’s idea that non-members be included in the kingdom of God to represent their interests. It makes sense that these should be non-members who support believers and do not persecute others.

However, certainly this can be modified so that if a decision relates to covenant holders only, for instance, then fellowships can pick covenant holders to nominate for that particular decision.

After this nomination process, when all representatives of the fellowships get together, they can implement a decision-making framework like the one presented in Denver’s podcast about “Dances with Wolves”

With this delegate nomination process, once the delegates of the fellowships get together, they can initially choose a decision making framework. That can change each time: For instance, they can choose “Dances with Wolves” method, majority vote method, or unanimous vote method, depending upon the seriousness of the decision to be made and how the group decides to do the vote. You can make this initial decision of what voting framework to adopt for each council item be a unanimous choice by default. Meaning, the group should be unanimous in deciding how the voting will proceed (for example, they unanimously decide the council item is a medium-level decision so they should use a majority rules voting framework to resolve it).

You can ignore the introduction and title. When I initially wrote this, I was toying with the idea that the thoughts on how fellowships could make decisions together could be the Guide and Standard itself. I considered this document a work in progress, but since it got leaked and partially absorbed by another effort, I wanted to post it as it was originally written. It makes better sense that this is just a nomination procedure. Maybe some parts are useful for the G&S, but that would be for the whole group to decide when they hash out the G&S decision.

The idea on what a “voting fellowship” is needs some clarification. It struck me that in order for a fellowship to implement all of the functions a fellowship could perform, i.e. priesthood ordination and sustaining, baptism, sacrament, etc, they would need 7 women and at least 1 man. That is the reason for choosing what a “voting fellowship” is in order to avoid a single person or a couple nominating a representative to join a confederacy of fellowships. Even though only two or three gathered together are needed to have fellowship in Christ, two or three can also collude to send a person who would persecute the larger group in their decisions and wreak havoc. Once two or people grow to a fully functioning fellowship of 8 people, maybe like Isaiah foretold, “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach” (Isaiah 1:12 OC), then they could send a representative to cross-fellowship councils for decision making.

CALLING FOR A VOTE

Since we don’t have any central leadership, and similar to how anyone can call for a conference, anyone can also call for a vote.

Here is one example of how this can happen.

If every fellowship registers on http://www.fellowshiplocator.info/ , then someone calling for a vote can ask to send an email to all fellowships. The only tool you have is persuasion. If you can persuade the fellowships to send a representative for your voting item, when you get together you either accomplish something or you don’t. When you accomplish something, report what you have done. If you get 100 out of 300 fellowships represented, it may not be that persuasive of a decision. We’re all on our own to decide together, and see what light and truth raises from the ground up and completes in a persuasive manner to touch the hearts of the most people.

You can state in your email to all the fellowships that you are asking for representatives to be picked, or that you want all people involved to vote. If you can administer a mechanism to get a vote included for all people, more power to you. Just publish your method, your decision item (e.g. The item for discussion will be: to decide on a Guide and Standard), meeting places, etc., and publish your results.

Maybe someone somewhere will be successful in getting a large representation of fellowships in a fair manner to select a Guide and Standard that is full of light and resonates across the movement or is at least acceptable. The Scripture Committee pulled this off for the larger scripture project. Their efforts are persuasive. Not everyone is convinced, but they succeeded and proved a case example.